By Jim Brunner from The Seattle Times
Publication Date: 2026-10-18 13:00:00
The last time Washingtonians voted on an income tax, the state’s biggest corporations opened their wallets to kill the idea.
In 2010, Microsoft, Amazon and Boeing and their top executives bankrolled opposition to an initiative that would have levied a tax on people making $200,000 or more a year. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the plan.
But this year, as voters weigh whether to uphold or repeal the state’s new high-earners income tax — or “millionaires tax” — those big corporate players have maintained a Switzerland-like neutrality.
They’ve given to neither side in the fight over Initiative 645, which would repeal the new 9.9% tax on household income over $1 million.
Why the conspicuous silence this time around? As the saying goes, it’s better to be at the table than on the menu.
While not exactly cheering for the new income tax, major employers like…
